The present invention relates to a tape printer for printing images, such as characters and diagrams, on a print tape.
The tape printer generally includes a print element, which includes a thermal head, a platen, a tape transport means, and an ink ribbon take-up means. A cassette which houses therein the print tape, which is the medium to be printed on, and an ink ribbon, can be freely inserted into and removed from the tape printer.
A Japanese Utility Model Application Kokai No. HEI-2-56666 discloses a tape printer for printing labels and the like on a print tape, which is a medium to be printed on. The print tape is housed in a cassette along with an ink ribbon. The cassette can be freely inserted into and removed from the tape printer. The tape printer includes a print element such as a thermal head, a platen which is provided so as to come into contact with and separate from the thermal head, an ink ribbon take up means, and the like. The tape printer draws the print tape from the cassette at an appropriate speed while printing images such as characters and the like on the print tape based on data that was previously inputted to the tape printer.
However, there are problems with the above-described tape printer in that the tape printer can only transport print tape in the direction in which the print tape is drawn from the cassette. Therefore, after an image, formed from characters for example, is printed following the lengthwise direction of the print tape, the print tape can not be rewound a predetermined distance in order to further print ornamental accessories around the already printed image, or to reprint over the printed image to form bold-face type, or to print another different color layer in the widthwise direction of the print tape to form a two-leveled image.
Also, the print unit and the device for cutting the end of printed tape are provided at positions spaced away from each other in the direction in which the print tape is transported. With the structure, after a printed print tape is cut, subsequent printing to the unprinted print tape can only be started at a position far from the cut end of the unprinted print tape. In other words, a wasteful margin is formed at both ends of print tapes and print tape is wastefully consumed.
Further, cassettes for use in conventional tape printers house only one color ink ribbon. Therefore, images, such as characters, with different colors can not be printed following the lengthwise direction of the print tape.